Most Popular Baby Names of 1896

In 1896, Mary (13,811 births) was the most common U.S. girl name and John (8,138 births) the most common boy name.

Top 100 boy names, 1896
Rank	Name	Births
1	John	8,138
2	William	7,747
3	James	5,206
4	George	4,286
5	Charles	3,639
6	Joseph	3,051
7	Frank	2,845
8	Robert	2,719
9	Edward	2,296
10	Henry	2,183
11	Harry	2,091
12	Thomas	2,088
13	Walter	2,017
14	Arthur	1,821
15	Albert	1,434
16	Fred	1,393
17	Clarence	1,254
18	Willie	1,092
19	Roy	1,027
20	Paul	964
21	Earl	892
22	Louis	871
23	Harold	862
24	Raymond	859
25	Carl	852
26	Richard	834
27	Joe	767
28	David	765
29	Ernest	764
30	Ralph	746
31	Samuel	734
32	Charlie	714
33	Howard	677
34	Herbert	635
35	Jesse	586
36	Elmer	576
37	Andrew	566
38	Daniel	561
39	Francis	551
40	Jack	539
40	Oscar	539
42	Alfred	527
43	Sam	518
44	Will	508
45	Eugene	507
46	Lawrence	499
47	Leo	497
48	Lee	455
49	Herman	427
50	Ray	426
51	Benjamin	416
52	Peter	402
53	Michael	399
54	Claude	398
55	Floyd	396
56	Lewis	386
57	Frederick	381
58	Clyde	372
59	Edwin	351
60	Leonard	350
61	Martin	343
62	Tom	339
63	Chester	329
64	Russell	327
65	Lester	318
66	Clifford	311
67	Lloyd	308
68	Edgar	306
69	Ben	299
70	Harvey	292
71	Jim	281
72	Leroy	278
73	Anthony	276
74	Luther	265
75	Hugh	263
76	Eddie	262
76	Guy	262
78	Stanley	259
79	Homer	258
80	Otto	250
81	Ed	246
82	Bernard	241
82	Jacob	241
82	Theodore	241
85	Leslie	237
86	Leon	235
87	Alexander	232
88	Archie	230
89	Jessie	229
90	Everett	224
91	Allen	219
92	Philip	218
93	Patrick	214
94	Donald	211
95	Horace	204
96	Victor	201
97	Cecil	200
98	Milton	194
98	Oliver	194
100	Isaac	191

Full Boy list for 1896

Top 100 girl names, 1896
Rank	Name	Births
1	Mary	13,811
2	Anna	5,860
3	Helen	4,392
4	Margaret	4,050
5	Ruth	3,905
6	Ethel	3,502
7	Elizabeth	3,471
8	Florence	3,323
9	Marie	3,087
10	Emma	2,872
11	Lillian	2,702
12	Alice	2,651
13	Edna	2,604
14	Clara	2,582
15	Bertha	2,565
16	Minnie	2,530
17	Grace	2,485
18	Bessie	2,435
19	Annie	2,358
20	Rose	2,341
21	Mabel	2,283
22	Hazel	2,226
23	Gertrude	2,221
24	Ida	2,159
25	Pearl	2,101
26	Martha	2,022
27	Esther	1,964
27	Frances	1,964
29	Edith	1,932
30	Myrtle	1,928
31	Elsie	1,878
32	Eva	1,779
33	Gladys	1,757
34	Nellie	1,696
35	Sarah	1,691
36	Ella	1,683
37	Laura	1,665
38	Agnes	1,654
39	Mildred	1,620
40	Catherine	1,594
41	Irene	1,593
42	Louise	1,531
43	Lillie	1,483
44	Julia	1,407
45	Carrie	1,388
46	Dorothy	1,366
47	Hattie	1,320
48	Lena	1,318
49	Mattie	1,288
50	Josephine	1,256
51	Alma	1,243
52	Cora	1,204
53	Jennie	1,178
54	Blanche	1,150
55	Mae	1,148
56	Maude	1,104
57	Jessie	1,103
58	Mamie	1,081
59	Lucy	1,074
60	Stella	1,054
61	Katherine	1,047
61	Viola	1,047
63	Ada	1,041
64	Lula	1,012
65	Fannie	1,001
66	Ruby	994
67	Marion	987
68	Dora	874
69	Maggie	871
70	Beatrice	870
71	Nora	844
72	Sadie	827
73	Ellen	811
74	Rosa	808
75	Pauline	756
76	Willie	755
77	Beulah	750
78	Marguerite	725
79	Susie	718
80	Effie	716
81	Vera	675
82	May	671
83	Daisy	661
84	Evelyn	646
85	Della	642
86	Lucille	637
87	Nettie	628
88	Kathryn	625
89	Virginia	621
90	Olive	583
91	Lydia	580
92	Lottie	574
93	Georgia	562
94	Leona	556
95	Hilda	549
96	Emily	527
96	Flora	527
96	Nancy	527
99	Katie	516
100	Lizzie	508

Full Girl list for 1896

Biggest movers since 1895

Names with at least 500 births in both years, by percent change in births.

Rising boy names, 1895 to 1896
Name	Births 1895	Births 1896	Change	Rank 1895 → 1896
Richard	727	834	+15%	31 → 26
Harold	753	862	+14%	29 → 23
Herbert	569	635	+12%	36 → 34
Arthur	1,666	1,821	+9%	14 → 14
Daniel	516	561	+9%	40 → 38
David	707	765	+8%	32 → 28
Raymond	806	859	+7%	26 → 24
William	7,277	7,747	+6%	2 → 2
Howard	641	677	+6%	33 → 33
Earl	851	892	+5%	22 → 21

Falling boy names, 1895 to 1896
Name	Births 1895	Births 1896	Change	Rank 1895 → 1896
Samuel	814	734	-10%	25 → 31
Ernest	834	764	-8%	24 → 29
Charlie	767	714	-7%	27 → 32
Fred	1,483	1,393	-6%	15 → 16
Elmer	610	576	-6%	34 → 36
Frank	3,012	2,845	-6%	6 → 7
Clarence	1,326	1,254	-5%	17 → 17
Louis	913	871	-5%	21 → 22
Alfred	551	527	-4%	38 → 42
Thomas	2,153	2,088	-3%	11 → 12

Rising girl names, 1895 to 1896
Name	Births 1895	Births 1896	Change	Rank 1895 → 1896
Dorothy	1,127	1,366	+21%	57 → 46
Gladys	1,464	1,757	+20%	41 → 33
Lucille	532	637	+20%	101 → 86
Marion	856	987	+15%	69 → 67
Agnes	1,466	1,654	+13%	40 → 38
Irene	1,428	1,593	+12%	43 → 41
Ruth	3,551	3,905	+10%	6 → 5
Mildred	1,474	1,620	+10%	39 → 39
Helen	4,023	4,392	+9%	3 → 3
Esther	1,803	1,964	+9%	31 → 27

Falling girl names, 1895 to 1896
Name	Births 1895	Births 1896	Change	Rank 1895 → 1896
Jessie	1,300	1,103	-15%	48 → 57
Emily	605	527	-13%	89 → 96
Lydia	656	580	-12%	85 → 91
Nellie	1,833	1,696	-7%	29 → 34
Vera	729	675	-7%	77 → 81
Ada	1,124	1,041	-7%	58 → 63
Nettie	677	628	-7%	82 → 87
Cora	1,295	1,204	-7%	49 → 52
Nancy	566	527	-7%	93 → 96
Lizzie	543	508	-6%	99 → 100

Top 100 boy names, 1896

Rank

Name

Births

John

8,138

William

7,747

James

5,206

4,286

3,639

3,051

2,845

2,719

2,296

Henry

2,183

Harry

2,091

Thomas

2,088

Walter

2,017

Arthur

1,821

Albert

1,434

Fred

1,393

1,254

1,092

1,027

964

Earl

892

Louis

871

Harold

862

Raymond

859

Carl

852

Richard

834

Joe

767

David

765

Ernest

764

Ralph

746

Samuel

734

Charlie

714

Howard

677

Herbert

635

Jesse

586

Elmer

576

Andrew

566

Daniel

561

Francis

551

Jack

539

Oscar

539

Alfred

527

Sam

518

Will

508

Eugene

507

Lawrence

499

Leo

497

Lee

455

Herman

427

Ray

426

Benjamin

416

Peter

402

Michael

399

Claude

398

Floyd

396

Lewis

386

Frederick

381

Clyde

372

Edwin

351

Leonard

350

Martin

343

Tom

339

Chester

329

Russell

327

Lester

318

Clifford

311

Lloyd

308

Edgar

306

Ben

299

Harvey

292

Jim

281

Leroy

278

Anthony

276

Luther

265

Hugh

263

Eddie

262

Guy

262

Stanley

259

Homer

258

Otto

250

246

Bernard

241

Jacob

241

Theodore

241

Leslie

237

Leon

235

Alexander

232

Archie

230

Jessie

229

Everett

224

Allen

219

Philip

218

Patrick

214

Donald

211

Horace

204

201

200

194

194

100

Isaac

191

Top 100 girl names, 1896

Rank

Name

Births

Mary

13,811

Anna

5,860

Helen

4,392

Margaret

4,050

Ruth

3,905

Ethel

3,502

Elizabeth

3,471

Florence

3,323

Marie

3,087

Emma

2,872

Lillian

2,702

Alice

2,651

Edna

2,604

Clara

2,582

Bertha

2,565

Minnie

2,530

Grace

2,485

Bessie

2,435

Annie

2,358

Rose

2,341

Mabel

2,283

Hazel

2,226

Gertrude

2,221

Ida

2,159

2,101

2,022

1,964

1,964

1,932

Myrtle

1,928

Elsie

1,878

Eva

1,779

Gladys

1,757

Nellie

1,696

Sarah

1,691

Ella

1,683

Laura

1,665

Agnes

1,654

Mildred

1,620

Catherine

1,594

Irene

1,593

Louise

1,531

Lillie

1,483

Julia

1,407

Carrie

1,388

Dorothy

1,366

Hattie

1,320

Lena

1,318

Mattie

1,288

Josephine

1,256

Alma

1,243

Cora

1,204

Jennie

1,178

Blanche

1,150

Mae

1,148

Maude

1,104

Jessie

1,103

Mamie

1,081

1,074

1,054

1,047

1,047

1,041

1,012

Fannie

1,001

Ruby

994

Marion

987

Dora

874

Maggie

871

Beatrice

870

Nora

844

Sadie

827

Ellen

811

Rosa

808

Pauline

756

Willie

755

Beulah

750

Marguerite

725

Susie

718

Effie

716

Vera

675

May

671

Daisy

661

Evelyn

646

Della

642

Lucille

637

Nettie

628

Kathryn

625

Virginia

621

Olive

583

Lydia

580

Lottie

574

Georgia

562

Leona

556

Hilda

549

Emily

527

Flora

527

Nancy

527

Katie

516

100

Lizzie

508

Biggest movers since 1895

Names with at least 500 births in both years, by percent change in births.

Rising boy names, 1895 to 1896
Name	Births 1895	Births 1896	Change	Rank 1895 → 1896
Richard	727	834	+15%	31 → 26
Harold	753	862	+14%	29 → 23
Herbert	569	635	+12%	36 → 34
Arthur	1,666	1,821	+9%	14 → 14
Daniel	516	561	+9%	40 → 38
David	707	765	+8%	32 → 28
Raymond	806	859	+7%	26 → 24
William	7,277	7,747	+6%	2 → 2
Howard	641	677	+6%	33 → 33
Earl	851	892	+5%	22 → 21

Falling boy names, 1895 to 1896
Name	Births 1895	Births 1896	Change	Rank 1895 → 1896
Samuel	814	734	-10%	25 → 31
Ernest	834	764	-8%	24 → 29
Charlie	767	714	-7%	27 → 32
Fred	1,483	1,393	-6%	15 → 16
Elmer	610	576	-6%	34 → 36
Frank	3,012	2,845	-6%	6 → 7
Clarence	1,326	1,254	-5%	17 → 17
Louis	913	871	-5%	21 → 22
Alfred	551	527	-4%	38 → 42
Thomas	2,153	2,088	-3%	11 → 12

Rising girl names, 1895 to 1896
Name	Births 1895	Births 1896	Change	Rank 1895 → 1896
Dorothy	1,127	1,366	+21%	57 → 46
Gladys	1,464	1,757	+20%	41 → 33
Lucille	532	637	+20%	101 → 86
Marion	856	987	+15%	69 → 67
Agnes	1,466	1,654	+13%	40 → 38
Irene	1,428	1,593	+12%	43 → 41
Ruth	3,551	3,905	+10%	6 → 5
Mildred	1,474	1,620	+10%	39 → 39
Helen	4,023	4,392	+9%	3 → 3
Esther	1,803	1,964	+9%	31 → 27

Falling girl names, 1895 to 1896
Name	Births 1895	Births 1896	Change	Rank 1895 → 1896
Jessie	1,300	1,103	-15%	48 → 57
Emily	605	527	-13%	89 → 96
Lydia	656	580	-12%	85 → 91
Nellie	1,833	1,696	-7%	29 → 34
Vera	729	675	-7%	77 → 81
Ada	1,124	1,041	-7%	58 → 63
Nettie	677	628	-7%	82 → 87
Cora	1,295	1,204	-7%	49 → 52
Nancy	566	527	-7%	93 → 96
Lizzie	543	508	-6%	99 → 100

Top 100 boy names of 1896

Top 100 girl names of 1896

Biggest movers since 1895

Top 100 boy names of 1896

Top 100 girl names of 1896

Biggest movers since 1895